The defence began calling witnesses Monday in the trial of a former Saskatoon Christian school principal, starting with a man who held an administrative job before him. Duff Friesen’s trial entered its second week in Court of King’s Bench. Friesen is charged with five counts of assault with a weapon stemming from allegations that he hit five students with a wooden paddle between 1997 and 2007 while working at Christian Centre Academy, as it was known at the time. The school later rebranded as Legacy Christian Academy and is now known as Valour Academy. Lou Brunelle, who was a school administrator before Friesen, was the first defence witness to testify. An image of Brunelle holding a paddle during a 1997 interview with Maclean’s magazine about corporal discipline in schools was entered into evidence. In court, Brunelle testified that three hits with a paddle were allowed under the school’s written policy, which he said parents signed. He said the paddle was typically used to discipline students for character issues, including cheating, lying and stealing. Brunelle also testified that staff at the school were not members of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. He said the curriculum was approved and that students could obtain transcripts from the Ministry of Education for university. Court also heard that Brunelle is one of several defendants in a $25-million lawsuit alleging abuse at the school. Deidre Benneweis, a former educational assistant at the school, was the second defence witness. After calling two witnesses, defence lawyer Daniel Mol said he was finished presenting evidence. Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday.
